Syphilis tests are very important when it comes to fighting this disease, because it can be very dangerous and symptoms can simply not show up in syphilis carriers for a matter of years. This sexually transmitted disease saw a decline earlier but the problem of syphilis is on the rise again due to factors such as blatant ignorance about syphilis. Screening for syphilis usually involves trying to detect the bacterium which is behind this disease, Treponema pallidum. Screening for syphilis is an important part of preventing its spread especially owing to the frequent absence of symptoms of syphilis for considerable periods of time. False positive syphilis tests and other variations such as false negative test for syphilis are also possibilities.
Syphilis tests are important to check the rise of this disease. The spread is also facilitated by the problem associated with the symptoms or lack thereof. This disease can not only result in various complications in later stages, but can also be fatal. The ease by which syphilis can be passed on makes it very difficult to control the spread of this infection. There is no alternative, when stemming such diseases, to safe sex practices. Another thing to bear in mind is that syphilis can be very easily given to unborn children and this can prove fatal for the developing baby. In fact, this is why it is recommended that a syphilis test be given to all expecting mothers. In some states, if one wishes to acquire a marriage license, one would need to go in for a syphilis test. However, be warned that there could be problems with such test. For instance, a false negative test for syphilis would imply that the individual actually has syphilis, but the test does not detect this. There is a higher possibility of this happening if the syphilis test is taken in the initial weeks from contraction of the condition.
In most cases, syphilis tests require no preparation, but do check with your doctor about the same.
The test for syphilis could be done in different ways but these usually involve a blood test. Check with your doctor about the different syphilis tests such as a genital or pelvic examination in order to discover signs of the same. Remember that a false positive test for syphilis means that the positive syphilis result could be on account of other diseases like HIV or even certain strains of pneumonia